Local Engagement Specialist - Western PA

FirstEnergy at a Glance

We are a forward-thinking electric utility powered by a diverse team of employees committed to making customers’ lives brighter, the environment better and our communities stronger.

FirstEnergy (NYSE: FE) is dedicated to integrity, safety, reliability, and operational excellence. Headquartered in Akron, Ohio, FirstEnergy includes one of the nation's largest investor-owned electric systems, more than 24,000 miles of transmission lines that connect the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic regions, and a regulated generating fleet with a total capacity of more than 3,500 megawatts.

About the Opportunity

This position is a Regional External Affairs Consultant (REAC or Consultant), which is an onsite/in office position supporting all or parts of Mercer, Lawrence, Beaver, Allegheny, Clarion, Washington, Allegheny, Venango, Forest, and Crawford counties. The consultant will liaise with local elected officials, EMA, and emergency responders across the service territory. The consultant grows and sustains strategic networks and relationships with key elected officials, community leaders and stakeholders. The consultant proactively informs and updates public officials about service-related issues—ranging from customer impacts and power outages to transmission and distribution capital projects.

The reporting location for this on-site position is somewhere in the West Penn Power or Penn Power service territories. 

Responsibilities include: 

• Building trusting, supportive relationships with all FirstEnergy departments operating within the assigned territory 
• Will work in support of projects relating to FirstEnergy Transmission and other internal stakeholders 
• Acting as the key company representative while working with all customers and constituents to ensure the highest level of customer service and satisfaction 
• Managing local public relations activities in concert with company communication strategies, including information on programs, outage status reporting and restoration updates, reliability and construction projects, rate cases, etc. 
• Partner with the FirstEnergy Foundation and Communications on company public relations activities, including strategic charitable contributions, reliability issues and projects 
• Committing resources to satisfy the business needs of the public and constituents on issues consistent with company business strategies 
• Attending evening council meetings and events to provide updates on Company initiatives for the communities we serve 
• Ensuring that all company strategies are advanced through the appropriate constituencies. 
• Providing input, competitive intelligence and feedback on local perspectives pertaining to company performance and company strategies 
• In partnership with State and Federal Affairs, and the company’s Regulatory groups leverage key contact relationships with federal, state, community and local officials to successfully manage and advance political and regulatory strategies in concert with the company's Rates, Regulatory Affairs and Economic Development groups 
• Acting as a proactive and responsive resource within the region to lead communications to our strategic partners and customers throughout the year and particularly during outage and storm related events, identifying and resolving problems before they become major issues.  
• Actively seeking and sharing knowledge of industry trends, competitors, etc., that affect FirstEnergy 
• Providing updates to public officials on outages, road closures and critical facilities during the storm response process within the Incident Command System 
• Modeling FirstEnergy's core values of Integrity, Safety, Accountability, Performance Excellence, and Stewardship 
   

Qualifications: 

• Bachelor’s degree in business administration, Engineering, Marketing, Communications, Political Science, Public Relations or comparable field with 10 years of related work experience is preferred 
• In lieu of a bachelor’s degree, 12 years of related work experience is required. Related work experience includes positions in public relations, marketing, communications, and customer relations with emphasis on demonstrated problem solving skills and customer service 
• Exceptional relationship management, leadership and teamwork skills 
• Excellent written and oral communication skills 
• Demonstrated ability to function with minimum direction using a broad range of discretion to meet strategic objectives 
• Outstanding public relations skills to ensure cooperation from public officials and civic organizations on matters vital to the company 
• Able to attend meetings and events before and after normal working hours, including weekends 
• Able to work extended hours, particularly during storms, with little notice is required 
• Proficient in Microsoft Office applications (Outlook, Excel, PowerPoint, Teams, Dynamics 365 and Word) 

Benefits, Compensation & Workforce Diversity

At FirstEnergy, employees are key to our success. We depend on their talents to meet the challenges of our changing business environment. We are committed to rewarding individual and team efforts through our total rewards philosophy which includes competitive pay plus incentive compensation, a company-sponsored pension plan, 401(k) savings plan with matching employer contribution, a choice of medical, prescription drug, dental, vision, and life insurance programs, as well as skills development training with tuition reimbursement. Please visit our website at www.firstenergycorp.com to learn more about all of our employee rewards programs. FirstEnergy proudly supports workforce diversity. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, status as a protected veteran, or status as a qualified individual with a disability. No recruiters or agencies without a previously signed contract. Unable to sponsor or transfer H-1B visas at this time.

Safety

Safety is a core value for FirstEnergy and is essential to all of our business activities. We ensure employees have the tools, information, and processes to perform their duties in a manner that assures safety for themselves, their co-workers, our customers and the public. Our goals are to provide a safe work environment, to maintain an accident-free, injury-free workplace, and to promote and maintain public safety. To meet these goals, we dedicate ourselves to achieving world-class safety standards.